Vivienne Westwood Hosts Anti-Fracking Protest in London

Complete with zombies and mangled baby dolls, naturally.

DameVivienne Westwood knows a thing or two about making a statement. After all, the fashion designer made her mark on the industry by introducing the '80s punk scene to high fashion — no easy feat in the frilly world of couture.

So when the 74-year-old designer and noted activist decided to hold an anti-fracking protest at the Westminster Bridge in London on Monday, it came as no surprise that the event was an over-the-top affair. The rally was held in support of the organization Talk Fracking, which is headed up by Westwood's son, social activist and Agent Provocateur founder Joe Corre. Launched last year, Talk Fracking's mission is to raise awareness of environmental impacts of the hydraulic fracturing technique used to crack ground rock for the purpose of extracting oil or gas.

Westwood stood in front of an ironic sign reading, "Let's stay on the road to a fracked future," (a play on the UK Conservative Party's slogan which states, "Let's stay on the road to a stronger economy,") which was followed by these less than subtle consequences: "catastrophic climate change, birth defects, energy insecurity, toxic legacy." To illustrate these points, Westwood surrounded herself by zombie-like creatures on stilts who were dressed in metal waste and covered in copper colored paint. In her arms the designer carried a terrifying, amputee baby doll smeared in "blood" which she called a "fracked baby of the future."

"We have to inform people about what is happening,” Westwood told the Independent in an interview about fracking last year. "The situation is urgent. We need governments on board. They need to be telling us that things are going to be very, very bad for the future of the human race and that we must do something about it."